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April 27, 2009

G19: Red Sox 3, Spiders 1

Wakefield (7-1-0-4-5, 112, 1.86 ERA) and Lee (8-5-0-0-5, 106) traded goose eggs for most of the game. And once Lee left the mound, the Red Sox pounced.

Facing Kerry Wood in the ninth, Dustin Pedroia walked and David Ortiz dropped a single into short center. Kevin Youkilis flew out to short right, bring up Jason Bay, who had hit the ball hard in his previous three trips, singling twice.

The pale Canadian took a strike before launching a three-run homer to deep left-center, a no-doubt blast that gave the Red Sox a 3-0 lead. (On Wood's next pitch, Mike Lowell tripled -- yes, tripled -- as Grady Sizemore dove to catch his sinking liner, only to have it bounce over him and roll to deep center.)

Wakefield allowed only one hit -- a two-out single in the first inning to Victor Martinez. He walked and hit a batter with two outs in the fourth and walked two in the sixth, but worked out of trouble each time. In the sixth, he needed a running catch from Jacoby Ellsbury in right-center to preserve his shutout bid.

Manny Delcarmen pitched a quick and perfect eighth before turning the game over to Jonathan Papelbon. He allowed three singles to his first four batters -- and he appeared to receive a gift strike three call on the one batter he retired -- giving Cleveland one run and bringing the potential winning run to the plate. But Kelly Shoppach chased a slider in the dirt for the second out, and he got pinch-hitter Ben Francisco to pop to first to end the game.

It's the longest Red Sox winning streak since June 16-29, 2006, when the team won 12.

The Royals beat the Blue Jays 7-1, allowing the Red Sox to creep into first place for the first time this season.

Red Sox 13 6 .684 ---Blue Jays 14 7 .667 ---

The Yankees lost to the Tigers 4-2, though CC Sabathia threw a complete game and lowered his ERA to 4.73. New York is 9-10, 4 GB.

The F Train rolls on to Cleveland, where the Red Sox begin a three-game series against the Spiders (7-12). Having finished a three-game sweep of the Yankees and now riding a 10-game winning streak, Boston sends its ace to the hill tonight.

J.D. Drew is not in the lineup after a tight left quad forced him out of Sunday's game after seven innings. Gumball Bailey gets the nod in right field against lefty Lee. Julio Lugo will play in this series, but he's not starting tonight.

The Red Sox's bullpen has allowed just five runs over the past 41 innings. (1.10 ERA).

Lee is making his fifth start of the month. After a disastrous Opening Day outing, he has posted a 3.32 ERA in the three starts since, though he has allowed 32 baserunners in 19 innings. His season WHIP is 1.750.

Pokerwolf, you're welcome to complain as much as you need to. I just don't get it. The team's doing great.

In general the angst over LOB is a bit lost on me - unless it's an extreme situation, like bases loaded w/ no outs.

There are tons of LOBs in baseball - there have to be. If your team hits well, there are going to be more men on base than scoring. But a lot of ppl act like it's a unusual or terrible - or like the Red Sox have so many more LOB than other teams.

These announcers aren't bad are they? I don't think they are, we think are kinda impartial. They aren't overtly being fans.

And if Wake does good this year I really hope he retires on that note. I really am excited to see him do good. I am learning to respect the knuckle more. I have seen him in person twice now and I had fun.